Mayor attacks 7 July payout delay

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London Mayor Boris Johnson has described as "unacceptable" delays in paying compensation to victims of the 7 July terrorist bombings.

Three years on from the 2005 attacks, 73 of the 647 people who made claims are still awaiting a settlement, and some have received no money at all.

Some victims have complained that the system is too slow and bureaucratic.

The mayor has written to London minister Tessa Jowell calling on the government to tackle the backlog.

In his letter he said: "It seems absolutely unacceptable that people who have suffered so much already are experiencing further and unnecessary distress because of bureaucratic delays. As we approach the third anniversary of these terrible attacks I urge you to do all you can to ensure that all remaining payments are made as quickly as possible Mayor Boris Johnson

"As we approach the third anniversary of these terrible attacks I urge you to do all you can to ensure that all remaining payments are made as quickly as possible."

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) said it had already paid out nearly £7.5m to victims and relatives of those caught up in the bombings.

Some 89% of the claims have been fully resolved and 96% of those eligible have received either a full or an interim payment.

A CICA spokesman said: "While we aimed to resolve all these applications as soon as possible, in some cases we still need information from third parties, for example, the police, medical specialists and employers.

"In a number of cases we are waiting for information from the applicant's representative before being able to progress their case.

"In other cases, the full extent of some serious injuries remains unclear - and if an injury has a longer-term effect then we want to make sure we consider this fully before making a final assessment.

"It is also important to remember that not all applications were made in the immediate aftermath of the attacks."

The third anniversary of the attacks on London's transport system will be marked on Monday with a low-key ceremony at King's Cross station attended by Mr Johnson, Ms Jowell and London Underground managing director Tim O'Toole.